Football: Sandburg takes high (and somewhat dry) road past Stagg

Sandburg wasn't lacking for contributors in its 20-8 SouthWest Suburban crossover win Friday night over host Stagg.

That was obvious in the postgame huddle, where an endless stream of players raised their hands to thank a teammate.

Eagles junior back Kevin Thompson gave plenty of thanks to his blockers for opening holes on his two touchdown runs during a 20-0 start in the first half.

But he didn't forget the towels, either.

"Yes! The towels," Thompson said, laughing in the rain. "Without them I wouldn't have been able to hold on to the ball. The second half we ran out of dry towels."

They were out of points, too. But Sandburg's defense was able to keep a persistent Stagg from getting back to within striking distance.

Thompson's TD runs were for 45 and 23 yards. John Gruchot added a 55-yard punt return for the Eagles (2-1).

Brett Revoir scored the only touchdown of the game for Stagg (1-2), via a 29-yard run.

"This was huge," Thompson said. "This boosts our confidence real win. It's just a big win for us."

Big plays put Sandburg in the driver's seat early on.

A sack of Revoir for a nine-yard loss by Eagles junior Joe Schneider was the first. It killed Stagg's first drive and, after a punt, Sandburg set up shop at its own 30.

Thompson got the drive rolling with a 12-yard run for a first down. Quarterback Brian Hansen kept it going with a fourth-and-2 run that got another.

On second-and-11 from the Stagg 45 Thompson took another handoff, blasted through a hole up the middle, then veered right and sprinted to the end zone. Ryan Salerno's PAT kick made it 7-0 with 4:38 remaining in the first period.

"I went through the hole and saw a cutback lane," Thompson said. "My linemen did a great job of blocking for me. Those linemen-- they're my life. They're my team. It's not just my touchdowns, it's the offensive team's."

Stagg, still struggling to find an offensive rhythm, went three-and-out before Anthony Anderson punted to Gruchot at the Sandburg 45. Gruchot was untouched as he raced for a 55-yard return.

Sandburg made it a 20-0 proposition with 3:24 remaining in the half when Thompson scored on a 23-yard run and Salerno booted the PAT.

Defensively, the Eagles held Stagg to 33 yards of offense and just two first downs in the first half. Revoir was dropped for losses five times.

Salerno's impact went well beyond his PATs.

His first two kickoffs went into the end zone for touchbacks. He made a remarkable punt on fourth down early in the third period while being hammered by a Stagg defender. The ball was tipped, but still traveled 20 yards.

"I think he showed that he's a big-timer today," Sandburg coach Dave Wierzal said. "The heads-up play, the opening kick in the end zone, some great kickoffs and heads-up on punts. He was a definite key for us."

Stagg broke through late in the third period with a 51-yard drive. The big play came on a fourth-and-3 from the Sandburg 29, as Revoir slipped away from a tackler at the line of scrimmage, then broke left to open field.

The TD run, with 2:57 showing on the clock, got the Chargers to within 20-6.

Stagg's final two points were the result of a bad snap on a punt try by Sandburg. Salerno picked up the ball in his own end zone, turned around and kicked the ball out of bounds for a safety.